Lions and Tigers and Cortexiphan Oh My!
by kira66
Summary: Tim had no memories from his early childhood up until he was about seven. He always found this a little odd but never thought too much about it until a man showed up at his door claiming that he had been experimented on as a child.
1. Chapter 1

"I hope you haven't been waiting long." Special Agent Olivia Dunham said as she entered her official office, the one housed inside the Federal building, and not in some cramped little backroom in the basement of Harvard. Moving across the room she sat down behind the desk and focused on the rooms only other occupant. "I'm sorry I don't believe I got your name." An apologetic smile unconsciously pulled at her lips.

"No not long at all. And it's Tim, Timothy McGee." McGee offered.

Olivia nodded and folded her hands on her desk. "So what can I do for you Mister McGee?"

McGee cleared his throat and sat forward in his chair. "It's Agent actually. Special Agent McGee." Reaching inside of her jacket he pulled out his ID and flipped it open for her to see. "I'm with NCIS."

"NCIS? What does the Navy want with me?" Olivia inquired.

"Nothing actually." McGee placed his ID back into his inside pocket. "I'm here unofficially."

This piped Olivia's interest. "Okay then. Why _are _you here?"

Pushing himself to his feet McGee walked to the door, closed it, then returned to his seat. "Three months ago I was approached by a man claiming that I had been experimented on as a child. Naturally I thought he was a whacko and threw him out of my apartment. Three days later I was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. That same day a packet of information was slipped under my door." Reaching over he picked up a folder that had been laying on the other chair and offered it to Olivia.

"Experimented on?" Olivia swallowed thickly and accepted the folder. The contents surprised her since most of the information hadn't ever been released into the public consciousness. There were detailed papers on Cortexiphan, several articles on ZFT, and a clipping from an old newspaper about the grand opening of Massive Dynamic. After taking a moment to skim the papers she closed the folder and looked up. "Why come to me with this and not your superiors?"

"I wanted to do a little digging to see if the information was legit before it brought it to the attention of my boss. But my inquires must have thrown up red flags because before I knew it was being visited by Special Agent Tobias Fornell, FBI. We're worked cases with him before so when he told me about rumors revolving around this office I decided to see if any of them were true." McGee sighed. "I got five maybe six months, tops, to live. I just want to know if I was experimented on with Cortexiphan and if it somehow caused my cancer."

_He'd be the right age_. Olivia couldn't help but think. "How long are you in town for?" She inquired.

A rueful smile twisted McGee's lips. "A week. Everyone thinks I'm on vacation."

"Can you meet me outside of the main building on the Harvard Campus tomorrow morning? Around eight-ish?" Olivia asked as she handed the folder back to him.

"Sure." McGee held up his hand. "Keep it. I have a feeling it'll be safer with you than me." Standing he grabbed his coat off the back of the chair and shrugged it on. "Thank you." He told her sincerely as he turned and let himself out.

Olivia sat the folder back down on her desk and unfocused eyes stared at the spot the young man had just vacated. She might want limited contact with Peter but she wasn't going to let her personal problems get in the way of potentially helping a fellow Agent. Especially when said fellow Agent could be another Cortexiphan kid like she had been.


	2. Chapter 2

Numbers, Olivia used to love them. Now they only served as a constant reminder of what she had missed. Sixty-eight days was how long she was over _there_. Sixty of those days she thought she was her alter-ego. Eighteen days is how long she was in love with Frank her, the _other_ hers, caring boyfriend before she realized there was more to her hallucinations. She's been home for sixteen days. Two weeks, fourteen days, is how long its been since she told Peter she wanted nothing to do with him. And Thirteen days is how long her heart has been breaking. So instead of counting sheep to help her fall asleep she just stares at her ceiling in her brand new unfamiliar apartment. And when she does fall asleep she, for the first time since coming home, doesn't dream about the _other_ world. So when her alarm buzzes in the morning, its new too actually everything in her new place is new, she rises with a smile on her face and dresses all too eagerly for her show and tell with Agent Timothy McGee; a man that she might have more in common with than just a title. The smile never leaves her face as she takes the familiar route to Harvard nor does it fade when it takes her longer than usual to find a parking space. Spotting the other Agent as she approached the main campus, if possible, her smile grows. "You haven't been waiting long I hope?" She asked dropping onto the bench beside him.

"Fifteen minutes give or take." McGee answered as he watched the students rush across campus trying to get inside and out of the cold as quickly as possible.

"You been here before?" Olivia questioned reading his posture as relaxed and totally in his element.

McGee chuckled and tucked his gloved hands deeper into his coat pockets. "I took the tour back when I was a senior in High School. My mom went here and wanted us kids to at least consider attending."

Olivia propped her elbow up on the back of the bench and then rested her check on her hand. "Did you?" The connection she felt to this man was undeniable. "Go here I mean?"

"No I ended up at John Hopkins where I got a degree in Biomedical Engineering and later MIT where I got my Masters in Computer Forensics. And my sister got her English Lit degree from Waverly. If mom was disappointed in any of our choices in schools she never left us know." McGee paused a moment. "How about you?" Just by talking to her he knew she was bright and well-educated.

"University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I got a B.S. in Psychology and Criminology then I served as a United States Marine Corps special investigator. Now here I am." Olivia waved her free hand around her.

McGee nodded. "Impressive. So if you don't mind my asking why are we here?"

It was Olivia's turn to chuckle. "We're here so we can see if you are truly a Cortexiphan subject." She stood and pulled her scarf around her face. "You ready for that because if you are there is no turning back." She warned.

"I'm already dying so what have I got to lose at this point?" McGee asked as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Follow me." Olivia started up the steps and inside. She could hear McGee following her so there was no need to turn around. She paused outside the door to Walters lab; the familiar voices inside caused an ache, she still as illogical as it may be missed Charlie and Lincoln, to swell up inside her but she quickly quashed it. "Welcome to my world Agent McGee." She pushed the door open and stepped inside.


End file.
